INTRODUCTION TO WELDING PROCESSES AND CONSUMABLES USED IN STAINLESS STEEL RAILWAY COACHES

RCF Kapurthala

INTRODUCTION
From the beginning of Indian Railway plain carbon steels have been a preferred engineering material for railway vehicles i.e. passenger coaches for goods & wagons. The excellent weldability, formability, toughness, easy availability and low cost have been the main reason behind it. But plain carbon steels have a serious drawback being a highly corrosion prone material even in natural environment. These steels are highly susceptible to all forms of corrosions i.e. galvanic corrosion, stress corrosion, bimetallic corrosion, pitting corrosion etc. which cause premature removal of components during service. Due to this a loss of crores of Rupees is born by railways annually. This has forced the Indian railway to use the alternative material which is better not only in the corrosion resistance properties but also in the mechanical properties so as to minimize the premature failure of components. This has initiated the view of using stainless steel.

INTRODUCTION
Stainless steels are engineering materials with good corrosion resistance, strength & fabrication chracteristics.They can readily meet a wide range of design criteria - load, service life, low maintenance etc. For selecting stainless steels one has to consider the following properties in order of importance.

IMPORTANT PROPERTIES IN STAINLESS STEELS FOR COACH MANUFACTURING

Resistant to Oxidation Good Strength and Ductility at Ambient Temperature. Resistant to Abrasion & Erosion. Good Surface Finish. Suitability for Intended Fabrication Techniques. Excellent Toughness. Dimensional Stability at Various Service Temperature prevailing in the Country. Suitable for Cleaning & Passivation Treatments. Competitive cost. Excellent Corrosion Resistant